Tucker is tough as balls. Cheap shots will knock just about any player down.

I really want to tear a strip off Kovalev right now, but it's too easy - I'd be writing a book, which I don't have time for.

Suffice it to say that anyone who thinks Alexei Kovalev is a tougher hockey player than Darcy Tucker knows nothing about hockey.

He's tough, but he's a sneaky dirty piece of shit. You can start with what he did to Peca in the playoffs.

Are you saying the Kovalev hit was a cheap shot? The one that followed him getting a stick in the face, and then skating HEAD ON with Tucker? That wasn't cheap, that was Kovalev being fed up. I never said Kovalev was tougher than Tucker, but in that moment he made Tucker look like the little bitch he is.

And I think I need to see a game up there. The Islanders are in first place and 8000 people showed up Tuesday night. That's not even 50% I don't think. Everytime I watch a game in Toronto or Montreal, the place is packed and everyone is going nuts. It's like every game is a playoff. That's awesome.

I might be going to Calgary for Spring Break. Flames vs. Sharks February 24th - maybe my first NHL game. Calgary fans are batshit insane, too. I live with three Calgarians, and they never shut up about the Flames.

The craziest fans (in my mind) were always the ones who supported the Winnipeg Jets. Jets jerseys still outsell most NHL teams' jerseys, and Winnipeg hasn't had a team in a decade.

And a little video teaser for the upcoming World Juniors:

ETA:

Quote:

Originally posted by UberBeaver Are you saying the Kovalev hit was a cheap shot? The one that followed him getting a stick in the face, and then skating HEAD ON with Tucker?

Nah, not that one. That was just Tucker getting run the fuck over by a hard-charging forward. I don't like Kovalev for my own reasons, but I will give him credit for a good solid hit on that one. The one I called a cheap shot is the Bouillon hit - he puts Tucker on his ass, taunts him into dropping his gloves, acts like he's not going to fight then sucker punches him. And Tucker got called for it

Originally posted by DaveC
And a little video teaser for the upcoming World Juniors:

That's great. I'd never seen that before. lol. Nice.

Oh, the Bullion hit, yeah, that was a sweet hit though, but he had to know Tuker was coming after him. Everytime I watch the video it looks like the ref is hitting Tucker to knock him down. It's just the angle, but I find it funny.

Originally posted by UberBeaver Everytime I watch the video it looks like the ref is hitting Tucker to knock him down. It's just the angle, but I find it funny.

That was my first thought, too. I was confused beyond belief until I saw the replay.

Ah, the "Punch-up in Piestany"...too bad Canada was booted from the tournament because of it, although it's more than understandable. My favourite part of it is that in every single fight, the Canadian player is absolutely demolishing the Soviet! There's one about halfway through where two Soviets are doubleteaming a Canadian, and the Canadian flattens one of them onto the other.

Apparently even the assistant coaching staffs of both teams were scrapping on the bench.

There were a lot of greats on that team, too - Theo Fleury, Shanahan, Mike Keane, Cliff Ronning, and Pierre Turgeon.

Can't wait for the WJHC...here in NS, it's second only to the Olympics as the international hockey tournament to watch. Three-peat!

I have no idea. I don't know what year Sundin was drafted (and quite frankly I couldn't be bothered looking it up right now), but if it was the late 80s - which I think he was - it's very likely he was on the team around time, if not necessarily right in '87.

When things like this happen, not only to sports athletes and officials but to anyone in general, it puts everything into perspective. How unimportant a hockey game becomes.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Gainey family and hope for a favourable outcome.

Gainey hands GM duties to Gauthier

Canadian Press
12/10/2006 12:06:11 PM

MONTREAL (CP) - Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey has passed his duties on to assistant GM Pierre Gauthier while he awaits word on his daughter Laura, who was swept overboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean during a storm on Friday night.

The team confirmed in a statement Sunday that the 25-year-old woman, who is still missing at sea, is Gainey's daughter.

Gainey was with his three other children, Anna, Colleen and Steve, the statement from team president Pierre Boivin and communications vice-president Donald Beauchamp said.

"In respecting the privacy of Mr. Gainey and his family, the Canadiens will not issue any further comment at this time," the statement read. "For the time being, Mr. Pierre Gauthier will manage the responsibilities of Mr. Gainey with the Canadiens."

Craig Button, a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs who worked with Gainey when the former Canadiens captain was GM in Minnesota and Dallas, said the team is in good hands.

Gauthier was president and GM in Anaheim from 1998 to 2002 and was GM in Ottawa from 1995 to 1998.

"He knows the role and he's comfortable in it," Button said. "He can certainly fulfill the obligations of that position in Bob's absence."

Button was shaken by the news and said "you pray for them to find the strength to get through this together."

Gainey learned that the missing woman was his daughter on Saturday. Gauthier attended the Canadiens 3-2 shootout loss to Buffalo on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

Laura, the third of Gainey's four children, was on a tall ship, the Picton Castle, headed to Granada when she was swept overboard by a large wave at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday. Rescuers are searching for her off the U.S. coast.

The Canadiens players and coaches had a day off practice Sunday and were not available for comment.

Gainey lost his wife Cathy to a five-year battle with brain cancer in 1995, when she was 39.

Gainey, who turns 53 on Wednesday, is a former Canadiens captain who won five Stanley Cups from 1973 to 1989. He joined the Minnesota North Stars, now the Dallas Stars, as head coach in 1990 and added the GM title in 1992. His Stars won a Stanley Cup in 1999.

Steve Gainey, 27, was drafted in the third round by Dallas in 1997, but spent most of his career in the minors. He signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005 and played 20 games last season. He is not playing this season.

Wow, there seems to be no shortage of bad news around the league these days. In any event it should be an interesting game tonight, more so than usual, between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens.

Originally posted by UberBeaver The Habs brought half of Montreal with them to Long Island last night. Bastards.

Boston manages to find some fans to send up here, sometimes.

I was at last night's Habs v. Bruins game (my first actual live Canadiens game) and it was a blast. 30 bucks for first row of the third deck and a free beer...mmm student nights. Fantastic seats though, you have one of the best views in the arena.

Guillaume Latendresse, local fav, got his 7th and the crowd gave him the loudest cheer of the night. The Frencher your name is, the more applause you get

Only in Montreal would spontaneous, hundred-strong chants of Ole Ole Oleeee break out in the corridors of a hockey arena.